HUMAN RESOURCES

Learning and Development

National Coalition Building Institute: Conflict and Controversial Issues

Course # 630

Advertising Description:

Addressing controversial issues is often difficult for even the most seasoned leaders, because they raise questions that challenge core personal beliefs. The NCBI Controversial Issue Process trains leaders to deal constructively with tough conflicts, enabling them to move disputing parties toward future cooperation. Facilitators provide a structured methodology that allows people on both sides of an entrenched issue to express their concerns, to listen attentively to the other side, and then to reframe the issue in a way that respectfully takes into account the concerns of both sides. The skills practiced in the NCBI Controversial Issue Process are applicable to every conflict situation, whether the controversy involves a labor-management dispute, a clash between different organizations, or a quarrel among coworkers.

Objectives:
(At the end of this course participants will be able to)

Invite people to discuss a difficult topic with a welcoming tone and without claiming a position.

Listen to someone who has a different opinion, and state back clearly what they heard.

Ask open-ended questions to learn more about why someone has taken a position on an issue.

Identify areas of overlap or “common ground” between individuals or groups who disagree.

Reframe an issue in a way that takes into account the concerns of both parties, while allowing them to move forward with finding solutions.